Joby Aviation, JetBlue Airways, and Signature Flight Support are teaming up to create a new pathway to clean aviation by developing a system of aviation credits for using electric and hydrogen propulsion technologies, the companies announced in a July 13 press release.
The partnership is aiming to aid in the commercialization of electric and hydrogen technologies, according to the release. It will also connect airlines and operators in the development of sustainable solutions.
“This partnership allows JetBlue to not only continue to fulfill our domestic carbon neutrality commitment, but also evolve the type of offsets we purchase and help support the development of electric and hydrogen aviation — critical levers for meeting the U.S. aviation industry’s net-zero goals,” Sara Bogdan, head of sustainability and environmental social governance at JetBlue, said in a statement.
Airlines could gain these credits by reducing emissions using electric or hydrogen-powered commercial flights that use an energy equivalent to conventional jet fuel, according to the release. The partnership will work on the creation, validation, and use of these credits. Joby is working on an analysis of its new air taxi’s energy consumption to support this effort.
“With JetBlue and Signature, we’re opening up an entirely new path for the aviation industry to more quickly move to sustainable energy sources,” JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, said in a statement. “We invite additional partners to join us and hope these agreements will be the first of many that link today’s air travel to the clean future of flight.”
Joby is developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for this sector which it plans to launch in 2024. The company has received G1 certification requirements from the Federal Aviation Administration and could meet those requirements as soon as 2023.
According to the release, this credit is meant to be a supplement to other emissions-reducing solutions like sustainable aviation fuels.
“Signature has long been the leader in moving the business aviation community towards a sustainable future,” Tony Lefebvre, CEO at Signature Flight Support, said in a statement. “Today, we offer our customers the option to offset emissions at airports where SAF isn’t readily available with a book-and-claim model. We’re excited to expand that model through this partnership to include the purchase of electric aviation credits from clean operators like Joby — all while supporting the innovative spirit that brings us closer every day to making flight sustainable for everyone.”
The companies plan to release more information on the partnership later in the year, according to the release.